Conservatives' approach to work: Less prepared for future work demands?

This study examined conservatism in the domain of work by relating conservatism to work-related attitudes and personal initiative. Wilson's (1973) concept was used, defining conservatism as rooted in a generalized intolerance of uncertainty. Focusing on the domain of work, it was hypothesized that conservatism should be related to avoiding uncertainty at work, such as responsibility, innovation, change, and challenge, and that conservatives would take less initiative at work. Hypotheses were tested in a sample of 478 participants from former East Germany. Questionnaire and behavior-based interview data were analyzed with structural equation modeling procedures; hypotheses were largely supported. Results are discussed referring to future demands at work. It is concluded that conservatives will have more problems adapting to new requirements that evolve with tomorrow's jobs.